Unit commitment in power systems with plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

With the continued development of renewable energy generation technologies and increasing pressure to combat the global effects of greenhouse warming, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have received worldwide attention, finding applications in North America and Europe. When a large number of PHEVs are introduced into a power system, there will be extensive impacts on power system planning and operation, as well as on electricity market development. It is therefore necessary to properly control PHEV charging and discharging behaviors. Given this background, a new unit commitment model and its solution method that takes into account the optimal PHEV charging and discharging controls is presented in this paper. A 10-unit and 24-hour unit commitment (UC) problem is employed to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of the developed method, and the impacts of the wide applications of PHEVs on the operating costs and the emission of the power system are studied. Case studies are also carried out to investigate the impacts of different PHEV penetration levels and different PHEV charging modes on the results of the UC problem. A 100-unit system is employed for further analysis on the impacts of PHEVs on the UC problem in a larger system application. Simulation results demonstrate that the employment of optimized PHEV charging and discharging modes is very helpful for smoothing the load curve profile and enhancing the ability of the power system to accommodate more PHEVs. Furthermore, an optimal Vehicle to Grid (V2G) discharging control provides economic and efficient backups and spinning reserves for the secure and economic operation of the power system

A review of system safety failure probability objectives for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) are one of a number of emerging aviation sectors. Such new aviation concepts present a significant challenge to National Aviation Authorities (NAAs) charged with ensuring the safety of their operation within the existing airspace system. There is significant heritage in the existing body of aviation safety regulations for Conventionally Piloted Aircraft (CPA). It can be argued that the promulgation of these regulations has delivered a level of safety tolerable to society, thus justifying the “default position” of applying these same standards, regulations and regulatory structures to emerging aviation concepts such as UAS. An example of this is the proposed “1309” regulation for UAS, which is based on the 1309 regulation for CPA. However, the absence of a pilot on-board an unmanned aircraft creates a fundamentally different risk paradigm to that of CPA. An appreciation of these differences is essential to the justification of the “default position” and in turn, to ensure the development of effective safety standards and regulations for UAS. This paper explores the suitability of the proposed “1309” regulation for UAS. A detailed review of the proposed regulation is provided and a number of key assumptions are identified and discussed. A high-level model characterising the expected number of third party fatalities on the ground is then used to determine the impact of these assumptions. The results clearly show that the “one size fits all” approach to the definition of 1309 regulations for UAS, which mandates equipment design and installation requirements independent of where the UAS is to be operated, will not lead to an effective management of the risks.

Relative entropy rate based model selection for linear hybrid system filters of uncertain nonlinear systems

Hybrid system representations have been exploited in a number of challenging modelling situations, including situations where the original nonlinear dynamics are too complex (or too imprecisely known) to be directly filtered. Unfortunately, the question of how to best design suitable hybrid system models has not yet been fully addressed, particularly in the situations involving model uncertainty. This paper proposes a novel joint state-measurement relative entropy rate based approach for design of hybrid system filters in the presence of (parameterised) model uncertainty. We also present a design approach suitable for suboptimal hybrid system filters. The benefits of our proposed approaches are illustrated through design examples and simulation studies.

Differential effects of ERP systems on user outcomes : a longitudinal investigation

Adopting a model of job enrichment we report on a longitudinal case investigating the perceived impact of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system on user job design characteristics. Our results indicated that in the context of an ERP geared towards centralisation and standardisation the extent to which users perceived an increase or decrease in job enrichment was associated with aspects such as formal authority and the nature of their work role. Experienced operational employees proficient in the original legacy system perceived ERP system protocols to constrain their actions, limit training and increase dependence on others in the workflow. Conversely, managerial users reported a number of benefits relating to report availability, improved organisational transparency and increased overall job enrichment. These results supported our argument concerning the relationship between ERPs with a standardisation intent and positive job enrichment outcomes for managerial users and negative job-related outcomes for operational users.

Australian Learning and Teaching Council, Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement for Architecture

The development of the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Statement for Architecture (the Statement) centred on requirements for the Master of Architecture and proceeded alongside similar developments in the building and construction discipline under the guidance and support of the Australian Deans of Built Environment and Design (ADBED). Through their representation of Australian architecture programs, ADBED have provided high-level leadership for the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards Project in Architecture (LTAS Architecture). The threshold learning outcomes (TLOs), the description of the nature and extent of the discipline, and accompanying notes were developed through wide consultation with the discipline and profession nationally. They have been considered and debated by ADBED on a number of occasions and have, in their fi nal form, been strongly endorsed by the Deans. ADBED formed the core of the Architecture Reference Group (chaired by an ADBED member) that drew together representatives of every peak organisation for the profession and discipline in Australia. The views of the architectural education community and profession have been provided both through individual submissions and the voices of a number of peak bodies. Over two hundred individuals from the practising profession, the academic workforce and the student cohort have worked together to build consensus about the capabilities expected of a graduate of an Australian Master of Architecture degree. It was critical from the outset that the Statement should embrace the wisdom of the greater ‘tribe’, should ensure that graduates of the Australian Master of Architecture were eligible for professional registration and, at the same time, should allow for scope and diversity in the shape of Australian architectural education. A consultation strategy adopted by the Discipline Scholar involved meetings and workshops in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane. Stakeholders from all jurisdictions and most universities participated in the early phases of consultation through a series of workshops that concluded late in October 2010. The Draft Architecture Standards Statement was formed from these early meetings and consultation in respect of that document continued through early 2011. This publication represents the outcomes of work to establish an agreed standards statement for the Master of Architecture. Significant further work remains to ensure the alignment of professional accreditation and recognition procedures with emerging regulatory frameworks cascading from the establishment of the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA). The Australian architecture community hopes that mechanisms can be found to integrate TEQSA’s quality assurance purpose with well-established and understood systems of professional accreditation to ensure the good standing of Australian architectural education into the future. The work to build renewed and integrated quality assurance processes and to foster the interests of this project will continue, for at least the next eighteen months, under the auspices of Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC)-funded Architecture Discipline Network (ADN), led by ADBED and Queensland University of Technology. The Discipline Scholar gratefully acknowledges the generous contributions given by those in stakeholder communities to the formulation of the Statement. Professional and academic colleagues have travelled and gathered to shape the Standards Statement. Debate has been vigorous and spirited and the Statement is rich with the purpose, critical thinking and good judgement of the Australian architectural education community. The commitments made to the processes that have produced this Statement reflect a deep and abiding interest by the constituency in architectural education. This commitment bodes well for the vibrancy and productivity of the emergent Architecture Discipline Network (ADN). Endorsement, in writing, was received from the Australian Institute of Architects National Education Committee (AIA NEC): The National Education Committee (NEC) of the Australian Institute of Architects thank you for your work thus far in developing the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards for Architecture In particular, we acknowledge your close consultation with the NEC on the project along with a comprehensive cross-section of the professional and academic communities in architecture. The TLOs with the nuanced levels of capacities – to identify, develop, explain, demonstrate etc – are described at an appropriate level to be understood as minimum expectations for a Master of Architecture graduate. The Architects Accreditation Council of Australia (AACA) has noted: There is a clear correlation between the current processes for accreditation and what may be the procedures in the future following the current review. The requirement of the outcomes as outlined in the draft paper to demonstrate capability is an appropriate way of expressing the measure of whether the learning outcomes have been achieved. The measure of capability as described in the outcome statements is enhanced with explanatory descriptions in the accompanying notes.

Emotions, crime and justice [Onati International Series in Law and Society, Number 1]

The return of emotions to debates about crime and criminal justice has been a striking development of recent decades across many jurisdictions. This has been registered in the return of shame to justice procedures, a heightened focus on victims and their emotional needs, fear of crime as a major preoccupation of citizens and politicians, and highly emotionalised public discourses on crime and justice. But how can we best make sense of these developments? Do we need to create "emotionally intelligent" justice systems, or are we messing recklessly with the rational foundations of liberal criminal justice? This volume brings together leading criminologists and sociologists from across the world in a much needed conversation about how to re-calibrate reason and emotion in crime and justice today. The contributions range from the micro-analysis of emotions in violent encounters to the paradoxes and tensions that arise from the emotionalisation of criminal justice in the public sphere. They explore the emotional labour of workers in police and penal institutions, the justice experiences of victims and offenders, and the role of vengeance, forgiveness and regret in the aftermath of violence and conflict resolution. The result is a set of original essays which offer a fresh and timely perspective on problems of crime and justice in contemporary liberal democracies.

Assessment of “change in flexibility method” in structural health monitoring systems

The modern structural diagnosis process is rely on vibration characteristics to assess safer serviceability level of the structure. This paper examines the potential of change in flexibility method to use in damage detection process and two main practical constraints associated with it. The first constraint addressed in this paper is reduction in number of data acquisition points due to limited number of sensors. Results conclude that accuracy of the change in flexibility method is influenced by the number of data acquisition points/sensor locations in real structures. Secondly, the effect of higher modes on damage detection process has been studied. This addresses the difficulty of extracting higher order modal data with available sensors. Four damage indices have been presented to identify their potential of damage detection with respect to different locations and severity of damage. A simply supported beam with two degrees of freedom at each node is considered only for a single damage cases throughout the paper.

A dual-polarized microstrip antenna array with port decoupling for MIMO systems

Utilization of multiport-antennas represents an appropriate way for the mitigation of multi-path fading in wireless communication systems. However, to obtain low correlation between the signals from different antenna ports and to prevent gain reduction by cross-talk, large antenna elements spacing is expected. Polarization diversity allows signal separation even with small antenna spacing. Although it is effective, polarization diversity alone does not suffice once the number of antennas exceeds the number of orthogonal polarizations. This paper presents an approach which combines a novel array concept with the use of dual polarization. The theory is verified by a compact dual polarized patch antenna array, which consists of four elements and a decoupling network.

Candidate radial-inflow turbines and high-density working fluids for geothermal power systems

Optimisation of Organic Rankine Cycle (ORCs) for binary-cycle geothermal applications could play a major role in determining the competitiveness of low to moderate temperature geothermal resources. Part of this optimisation process is matching cycles to a given resource such that power output can be maximised. Two major and largely interrelated components of the cycle are the working fluid and the turbine. Both components need careful consideration: the selection of working fluid and appropriate operating conditions as well as optimisation of the turbine design for those conditions will determine the amount of power that can be extracted from a resource. In this paper, we present the rationale for the use of radial-inflow turbines for ORC applications and the preliminary design of several radial-inflow machines based on a number of promising ORC systems that use five different working fluids: R134a, R143a, R236fa, R245fa and n-Pentane. Preliminary meanline analysis lead to the generation of turbine designs for the various cycles with similar efficiencies (77%) but large differences in dimensions (139–289 mm rotor diameter). The highest performing cycle, based on R134a, was found to produce 33% more net power from a 150 °C resource flowing at 10 kg/s than the lowest performing cycle, based on n-Pentane.

Cellular model systems to study the tumor biological role of kallikrein-related peptidases in ovarian and prostate cancer

Since the identification of the gene family of kallikrein related peptidases (KLKs), their function has been robustly studied at the biochemical level. In vitro biochemical studies have shown that KLK proteases are involved in a number of extracellular processes that initiate intracellular signaling pathways by hydrolysis, as reviewed in Chapters 8, 9, and 15, Volume 1. These events have been associated with more invasive phenotypes of ovarian, prostate, and other cancers. Concomitantly, aberrant expression of KLKs has been associated with poor prognosis of patients with ovarian and prostate cancer (Borgoño and Diamandis, 2004; Clements et al., 2004; Yousef and Diamandis, 2009), with prostate-specific antigen (PSA, KLK3) being a long standing, clinically employed biomarker for prostate cancer (Lilja et al., 2008). Data generated from patient samples in clinical studies, alongwith biochemical activity, suggests that KLKs function in the development and progression of these diseases. To bridge the gap between their function at the molecular level and the clinical need for efficacious treatment and prognostic biomarkers, functional assessment at the in vitro cellular level, using various culture models, is increasing, particularly in a three-dimensional (3D) context (Abbott, 2003; Bissell and Radisky, 2001; Pampaloni et al., 2007; Yamada and Cukierman, 2007).

High strong order methods for non-commutative stochastic ordinary differential equation systems and the Magnus formula

In recent years considerable attention has been paid to the numerical solution of stochastic ordinary differential equations (SODEs), as SODEs are often more appropriate than their deterministic counterparts in many modelling situations. However, unlike the deterministic case numerical methods for SODEs are considerably less sophisticated due to the difficulty in representing the (possibly large number of) random variable approximations to the stochastic integrals. Although Burrage and Burrage [High strong order explicit Runge-Kutta methods for stochastic ordinary differential equations, Applied Numerical Mathematics 22 (1996) 81-101] were able to construct strong local order 1.5 stochastic Runge-Kutta methods for certain cases, it is known that all extant stochastic Runge-Kutta methods suffer an order reduction down to strong order 0.5 if there is non-commutativity between the functions associated with the multiple Wiener processes. This order reduction down to that of the Euler-Maruyama method imposes severe difficulties in obtaining meaningful solutions in a reasonable time frame and this paper attempts to circumvent these difficulties by some new techniques. An additional difficulty in solving SODEs arises even in the Linear case since it is not possible to write the solution analytically in terms of matrix exponentials unless there is a commutativity property between the functions associated with the multiple Wiener processes. Thus in this present paper first the work of Magnus [On the exponential solution of differential equations for a linear operator, Communications on Pure and Applied Mathematics 7 (1954) 649-673] (applied to deterministic non-commutative Linear problems) will be applied to non-commutative linear SODEs and methods of strong order 1.5 for arbitrary, linear, non-commutative SODE systems will be constructed - hence giving an accurate approximation to the general linear problem. Secondly, for general nonlinear non-commutative systems with an arbitrary number (d) of Wiener processes it is shown that strong local order I Runge-Kutta methods with d + 1 stages can be constructed by evaluated a set of Lie brackets as well as the standard function evaluations. A method is then constructed which can be efficiently implemented in a parallel environment for this arbitrary number of Wiener processes. Finally some numerical results are presented which illustrate the efficacy of these approaches. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Crowdsourcing information systems : definition, typology and design

Crowdsourcing has become a popular approach for capitalizing on the potential of large and open crowds of people external to the organization. While crowdsourcing as a phenomenon is studied in a variety of fields, research mostly focuses on isolated aspects and little is known about the integrated design of crowdsourcing efforts. We introduce a socio-technical systems perspective on crowdsourcing, which provides a deeper understanding of the components and relationships in crowdsourcing systems. By considering the function of crowdsourcing systems within their organizational context, we develop a typology of four distinct system archetypes. We analyze the characteristics of each type and derive a number of design requirements for the respective system components. The paper lays a foundation for IS-based crowdsourcing research, channels related academic work, and helps guiding the study and design of crowdsourcing information systems.

Adaptive metering algorithm for electronic commercial vehicle preclearance systems

This paper presents an adaptive metering algorithm for enhancing the electronic screening (e-screening) operation at truck weight stations. This algorithm uses a feedback control mechanism to control the level of truck vehicles entering the weight station. The basic operation of the algorithm allows more trucks to be inspected when the weight station is underutilized by adjusting the weight threshold lower. Alternatively, the algorithm restricts the number of trucks to inspect when the station is overutilized to prevent queue spillover. The proposed control concept is demonstrated and evaluated in a simulation environment. The simulation results demonstrate the considerable benefits of the proposed algorithm in improving overweight enforcement with minimal negative impacts on nonoverweighed trucks. The test results also reveal that the effectiveness of the algorithm improves with higher truck participation rates in the e-screening program.

Qualitative methods in information systems research

Qualitative research methods are widely accepted in Information Systems and multiple approaches have been successfully used in IS qualitative studies over the years. These approaches include narrative analysis, discourse analysis, grounded theory, case study, ethnography and phenomenological analysis. Guided by critical, interpretive and positivist epistemologies (Myers 1997), qualitative methods are continuously growing in importance in our research community. In this special issue, we adopt Van Maanen's (1979: 520) definition of qualitative research as an umbrella term to cover an “array of interpretive techniques that can describe, decode, translate, and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the frequency, of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world”. In the call for papers, we stated that the aim of the special issue was to provide a forum within which we can present and debate the significant number of issues, results and questions arising from the pluralistic approach to qualitative research in Information Systems. We recognise both the potential and the challenges that qualitative approaches offers for accessing the different layers and dimensions of a complex and constructed social reality (Orlikowski, 1993). The special issue is also a response to the need to showcase the current state of the art in IS qualitative research and highlight advances and issues encountered in the process of continuous learning that includes questions about its ontology, epistemological tenets, theoretical contributions and practical applications.

An optimized online secondary path modeling method for single-channel feedback ANC systems

This paper proposes a new method for online secondary path modeling in feedback active noise control (ANC) systems. In practical cases, the secondary path is usually time varying. For these cases, online modeling of secondary path is required to ensure convergence of the system. In literature the secondary path estimation is usually performed offline, prior to online modeling, where in the proposed system there is no need for using offline estimation. The proposed method consists of two steps: a noise controller which is based on an FxLMS algorithm, and a variable step size (VSS) LMS algorithm which is used to adapt the modeling filter with the secondary path. In order to increase performance of the algorithm in a faster convergence and accurate performance, we stop the VSS-LMS algorithm at the optimum point. The results of computer simulation shown in this paper indicate effectiveness of the proposed method.